OVERWHELMED: Congolese Student Influx Puts Pressure on Ugandan Schools

KISORO – The surge of Congolese students entering Ugandan schools has placed considerable strain on Kisoro District’s already overcrowded educational institutions.

The education system in the Democratic Republic of Congo, specifically in North Kivu province, is suffering severe setbacks.

North Kivu, situated in the eastern DRC, has been marred by ethnic conflict and violent competition over resources, involving various ethnic militias, Congolese security forces, UN troops, and complex external interests.

This ongoing instability has forced tens of thousands of residents to seek refuge in Uganda and other regions within the Congo. Many schools in the area have been targeted, occupied by armed groups, or repurposed as temporary shelters for internally displaced people.

Despite the recent announcement by the M23 group that studies in conflict-affected areas like Rutshuru, Nyiragongo, and Masisi would resume, a significant number of students in the province continue to drop out of school.

Some parents are even crossing into Ugandan government schools in search of education for their children, as the security situation in the region remains highly unpredictable.

The effective operation of schools in these affected areas has been severely hampered since March 2022 when M23 initiated hostilities against the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC).

The situation deteriorated further, resulting in the complete closure of schools in June 2022 when the rebels captured the main Uganda-DR Congo border town of Bunagana and nearby areas in the Rutshuru territory.

Despite efforts to deploy peacekeeping troops from Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, and South Sudan, as per the resolutions of the East African Community (EAC) heads of state summit, schools have not reopened, although some calm has been restored to the region.

According to sources within the Kisoro district Education department, more than 1,000 Congolese students are currently enrolled in Ugandan schools, both those close to their homes in the DRC and those residing within Uganda.

These students can be found in schools across sub-counties like Muramba, Busanza, Nyabwishenya, Nyarubuye, and town councils including Bunagana, Rukundo, and Nkuringo.

One of the most affected primary schools is Bunagana Primary School, which has a total population of over 760 pupils, with more than 300 hailing from the Democratic Republic of Congo, as reported by the school’s head teacher, Godfrey Bigira.

He highlighted that the influx of Congolese students poses significant challenges to school planning due to limited resources such as teachers (10), classrooms (7), and toilets (one block of three stalls for boys and a similar one for girls).

He also noted that primary seven students from the DRC often struggle to perform well in national exams due to frequent absences caused by the unstable conditions in their home region.

Muwanga Ben, the Head Teacher of Gihuranda Primary School in Rukundo town council, shared that his school accommodates 123 Congolese pupils out of a total population of 1,200 students.

He observed that student numbers tend to fluctuate during periods of conflict in North Kivu and slightly decrease during more peaceful times. Language remains a challenge for these learners, as they arrive in Uganda speaking Ligala, while the Ugandan curriculum is taught in English.

However, Ben noted that these students have access to all required school facilities but often lack school uniforms and other educational materials.

Other primary schools enrolling Congolese students include Bunagana Teddy Bears, Kanyampiriko in Bunagana town council, Gacaca in Busanza, and Busanani in Nyabwishenya, among others.

This influx of Congolese students has led to a rise in Uganda’s average pupil-to-teacher ratio, increasing from 43 to one. This ratio considers an average enrollment of at least 387 pupils with 9 teachers in one school.